A Tainted Reverie
by Jaggedfang
Summary: Life itself is a tainted reverie. A young QuiGon Jinn must learn this the hard way, time and again. Has a little fluff here and there. Chapter 6 up now. REVISED! Please review and tell me how it looks!
1. A Hand of Fate

Disclaimer: Don't own Star Wars, but it does own me!  
Author's Note: Thanks so much to Pirate Rhi! I never noticed that I had such major flaws in my story. Anyway, the entire thing has been rewritten. I tried to make Saryu more down-to-earth and lifelike. My other viewers, please review and let me know how the re-vamped version is and what I need to do to fix it! 

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_"Mum, look! There's another one! Just look how pretty he is!" Her delighted cries echoed distantly as she chased after the butterfly dancing on the breeze. She waved her net, and was delighted when it circled back and chose to instead land on her outstretched palm. A radiant smile of victory and ecstasy danced on her young face as she closely examined the brilliantly colored creature. She laughed out loud and turned to give a victory wave to her parents, but was horrified to see them fading away. The insect was forgotten as a wave of desperation drowned her tiny body. Why couldn't she run fast enough? Try as she might, the child could do nothing but run as fast as she could and watch hopelessly as the darkness slowly consumed them. Fighting on wavering strength, she was determined not to let them go. She pushed herself harder, but the surrounding darkness pushed her back. Her strength gave out, and she toppled to the ground. All was lost, or so it seemed. An eternity passed before she finally sensed a faint and mysterious presence. A hand delicately lifted her chin, tilting her tearstained face upwards. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the brilliant light that shone down from above, piercing the darkness like an arrow. It was blinding and peaceful at the same time. A figure stood before her, its face and body enveloped in the light. All she could see was the white hand, gently encouraging her to stand. Tenderly, she grasped the extended fingers and the figure silently led her forward, out of the darkness and into a warmer light that beckoned them from a distance._

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"AIEEEEEE!" An ear-shattering shriek split the arid morning without warning, and was immediately followed by several reports from blaster fire. Silence fell as the young girl sought shelter behind a cluster of boulders. Luckily, she had startled the Tusken Raiders, and they had missed most of their shots. Black burns on the front of the boulder marked a few of their well-aimed blasts.

"Damnit." She breathed. She peered at them through a spot between two boulders. They were still there, and they were still fiercely defending the swoop bike. She clenched her fist, and turned around, resting her back up against the rocks. How could she get the vehicle away from them? A suprise attack had failed to move them, and they'd retaliated by opening fire. She sighed. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She just remembered her trusty slingshot she had tucked into her pocket before leaving to explore. With a devilish grin, she scooped up a handful of pebbles and returned fire. A sudden roar signaled one of her shots making contact. Her laughter suddenly turned to a look of horror as she saw the savage warriors charging towards her, their gaffi sticks glinting malevolently in the twin suns. She let out another shriek and ran. She took cover behind a patch of brush and quickly sought shelter behind more rocks as they opened fire again. A metal clink drew her attention, and she let out another scream before running to seek other cover. She barely made it as the fragmentation grenade exploded, peppering the landscape with deadly shrapnel. She sighed, thinking she was safe behind more boulders. She was mistaken, and had little time to react as a shard of metal ricocheted off the rock in front of her. She quickly turned and ducked, hoping it had missed her. She was suprised as a sudden and feirce burning and stinging shot up and down her arm, along with the warm trickle of blood. She saw the hole in her arm where the piece was lodged. Wincing with pain, she tore a piece of cloth from her shirt and fashioned a turniquet. She turned and looked back behind her. The Tuskan Raiders were holding their ground. With a sigh, the young girl swept her blonde hair from her face and stood up. Her plan had backfired. So much for the bike. With a look of defeat, she cast a final glance over her shoulder and trudged slowly back to the shop, her home.

"There you are. What happened to you? You're filthy! And your arm... Let me see it!" Exclaimed a tall figure standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the light inside.

"Shut up, Arayla. You're not my mother." Saryu snapped, edging past the redheaded girl. She dodged the arm reaching for her and continued down the hallway. Arayla sighed and placed her hands on her hips. Saryu ignored her. She was busy wallowing in her own self-pity. She hated losing. Her normally bright blue eyes had a sullen glaze to them. She was stubborn, however, and refused to give up. She paused in the hallway to remove the bloody rag. She fished for a pair of tweezers in a nearby drawer and took a seat on the counter. She drew in a breath and held it as she dug the metal piece from her arm. Closing her eyes against the pain, she quickly rewrapped it in a clean bandage. Grumbling, she left the kitchen. It was all those Raiders' fault. She had to get that bike, but she needed a plan. Drumming her fingers on the counter, an idea came to her. Her eyes lit up immediately, and she ran down the hall, bursting through the door that led into the junkyard. There waiting for here was a random assortment of wires and peices of metal resting on the steps. She took a seat and began fiddling with the scraps, just to pass the time.

As the first sun began to set, Saryu stood up. She dusted herself off and headed back inside. It was time to put her plan into action. Thankfully, Arayla was nowhere to be found. If she had been there that particular moment, she would've recognized the mischievous gleam in Saryu's eye and probably would have stopped her. She wasn't, and the child was free to cause mayhem out in the desert. She grabbed her slingshot off the hook as she slipped outside.

She was heading towards the same spot in the desert that she had been this morning. She noted with a wave of relief that the Tusken Raiders were no longer there, but as she neared, she recognized the incomprehensible babble of the Jawas. 'They're gonna scrap the bike!' She thought, clenching her fist. She paused for a rest behind the same boulders that she had earlier, to think of a plan. She'd come prepaired for dealing with the Raiders, but the Jawas were another story. At least with the Raiders, you always knew how they were going to react. She could come up with nothing, but she wasn't about to return empty-handed. In a desperation move, she leapt out behind the boulders and charged at the small creatures, shrieking like a banshee and flailing her arms wildly. Suprised, the Jawas let out a shrill round of gibberish before skittering away. The last one uttered a final word and waved its fist in a threatening manner before disappearing behind the rocks.

"Victory!" She couldn't help but let out an excited squeak. She went over and examined the piece of machinery. Luckily, the Jawas hadn't done much disassembling, or at least what she could see. She dusted her prize off and started it up. The swoop bike roared to life and hovered off the ground. She climbed aboard and hastily pulled back on the accellerator. The machine gave a powerful lurch forward, and Saryu flew off backwards. "Oww... That hurts!" She grunted, sitting up. She rubbed the back of her head and dusted herself off. The bike was a few yards ahead, laughing at her. She set her jaw and stood up. "Oh yeah? I'll show you!" Saryu roared in defiance. She ran to the machine and leapt on it. She clutched the bike tightly and opened up the throttle once more. Once more, the swoop gave a lurch forward. Saryu, however, was prepared for it and maintained balance. It flew over the landscape at an incredible speed. Saryu was delighted at how fast the vehicle moved.

She was halfway towards the shop when the machine vehicle began acting up. It sputtered and jarred terribly before grinding to a halt and falling to the ground. Saryu hopped off and looked it over. Upon closer inspection of the engine, she saw some nuts and bolts were missing. With a sigh, she pulled a spare screw from her pocket. She only kept one with her always. She jammed the screw in one of the empty sockets. It would have to do. She started it up again and it rattled to life. It sounded horrible, but it ran. She was preparing to take off when a loud thrumming filled the air. It drowned out the rattling of the speedercycle. Saryu turned her attention to the sky, just in time to see a large airship hovering her way. It was flying curiously low, and the little girl couldn't help but stare as it made its way across the landscape. There was a sudden beastly yowl, not too far behind her. She looked back, and had failed to notice the Tusken Raiders had returned. They weren't looking at her, but instead were focused on the airship above them. She watched as they raised their blasters and riddled the machine full of holes. Immediately, the ship lurched and began belching out smoke. It dropped drastically and seemed to be headed straight for her. She was too afraid to run, and could only watch as it soared seemingly inches from her head. The crippled peice of machinery continued on a few more yards before crash-landing in the sand. She blinked and watched as it sent up a wave of sand. Her bad mood was immediately forgotten as she put the swoop bike in gear and headed off towards the injured ship before the Tusken Raiders got to it first.

When she arrived, she saw the two hapless passengers standing around outside the ship. She pulled the bike to a rattly halt and left it idling while she approached the two.

"Need some help? I could probably help. I know lotsa stuff about ships n' stuff." She prattled cheerily. They looked at her. One of them was a young boy, around her age, while the other one was much older, probably his father or something. They were both dressed oddly, with long brown robes and grey-colored garments underneath. The older man approached her.

"It seems our ship was attacked by some Tusken Raiders." He looked skeptically at her. It was obvious he held little faith that a child would be able to fix their ship. However, he decided to give her a chance. "Will you be able to fix it?" He asked. He was still a bit doubtful of her abilities. Saryu grinned.

"Well, I can take a look at it. It couldn't hurt, could it?" She said innocently. Needless to say, this didn't help the man's suspicion. The young girl smiled and ran onboard the airship. She quickly found a seat in the cockpit and used the onboard computer to assess the damage. Once she had all the information she needed, she left the ship to inform its passengers of the needed repairs.

"I just need to run back to the shop to get some parts and scrap metal for it. You can come back with me to wait if you want. What are your names anyway?" She suddenly asked. The man waved her off.

"No, that's fine, we can walk. You may call me Count Dooku. This is my young companion, Qui-Gon Jinn." He introduced himself. Saryu's gaze fell on the boy once again. A warm smile found its way across her face.

"I'm Saryu Fargoln. Nice ta meet ya." She said brightly. She turned her gaze to Qui-Gon, who blushed and looked down. She then looked back at Dooku. "Well, I guess I'll see ya back at the tavern. Bye!" She said cheerily before heading off.

She had enough time to fix her new swoop bike and attatch a basket to the back before loading it down with scrap metal, wires, and other spare parts. A familiar whirring behind her drew her attention, and she turned to see a small welding droid wheeling past her. She plucked it up and tucked it into the basket before blasting off to the now-abandoned ship.

She immediately set to work, patching the holes and injured parts of the ship. She worked her way into the bowels of the ship, using her limited know-how to fix what she could. Luckily for her, there was nothing damaged beyond her repair. The little droid came in handy as well. When she was finished, she used the onboard computer to make sure the wiring was correct and the ship could fly. By the time she headed back to her waiting bike, the second sun was setting. Saryu gave a small sigh and headed back to the shop.

"Everything's in order. It just needed a few minor repairs and some re-wiring. She's good to go now." Saryu said, wiping an arm across her brow. She gave a smile of satisfaction to Dooku and his young charge, who still refused to make eye contact. "It's already after dark, so I guess you can stay here tonight." She added with a sly wink. She turned to the shopkeep. "Got any extra rooms"  
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Snarfiness. Hope it's better!


	2. Rumble in the Desert

Chapter 2 is fixed as well! Please review!  
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"Hey! Wench! Another round of ales! Make it snappy!" 

Even from where she was in the kitchen, Saryu could hear the rowdy spaceship captains and their crews spout off drunken orders. She rubbed a forearm across her brow and continued washing dirty mugs that flowed through the kitchen in a steady stream. Washing dishes was hard work for a kid. Still, she was glad she was in here, where it was relatively safe, instead of out there. The door opened, and a half-drunk Arayla wandered in, arms loaded with dirty mugs. She plopped them in the sink, sending a wave of sudsy water to flood the floor and Saryu's apron.

"Hey, watch it." She grumbled. Arayla smiled at her.

"Oh, sorry. Don't worry, you won't be in here much longer. The crowd's dying down." The older girl said. Saryu was awash in her gin-soaked breath. Arayla grabbed another armload of alcohol-filled mugs and headed out.

Saryu took a moment and snuck a peek through the swinging door to see what 'the crowd' looked like. The room was dimly-lit and filled with smoke, and Saryu could see none she recognized. She was a little glad that the two earlier customers weren't there. She didn't want them having fun without her. That Qui-Gon Jinn was kind of cute, and the other guy, Count Dooku, seemed nice enough. She saw Arayla heading her way, and she hurried back to her place at the sink.

At last, the crowd of drunken idiots began to die down. Saryu finished the dishes and went out to clean tables. Toku had passed out a while ago, and she'd dragged the hefty man to his room, where she'd left him in a fat pile on the floor. She took care to leave him facedown, with his head to the side before leaving him for the night. Arayla had passed out as well, but Saryu left her in the chair she'd blacked out in. Saryu washed the last of the tables before heading up the stairs. As she reached the third step, she heard Toku's drunken voice follow her. He was babbling something or other, and she decided she would have none of this. "I'm taking a shower!" She bellowed down the stairs after him. In a huff, she went into her room. Hers was on the same floor as the other rooms that customers stayed in, but she didn't bother to be quiet. In fact, she hoped she woke a few of them up. That would be Toku's punishment for acting like a fool. Let him deal with angry customers and have a hangover at the same time.

She undressed and threw her still-wet clothing down the stairs. She ran down the hallway wrapped in a towel and slammed the door of the bathroom in the hopes of waking a few more customers. She showered quickly and finished. Finally convinced she was clean, she headed back down the hall to her room, still wrapped in a towel. She flopped facedown on her bed with a sigh.

"Long day, huh?" There came a soft voice from behind her.

"You have no idea." She said into the pillow. She pulled her pillow tighter onto her face before turning to see who had spoken. She was quite suprised to see Qui-Gon standing in her doorway. "Hey there. I didn't see you down there." She teased, sitting up. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and motioned for him to come and sit next to her.

"Well, you know, it's not exactly allowed..." He stammered nervously, taking a seat next to her. She giggled, bumping her legs together.

"Who says you're not allowed to have fun?" Saryu asked in a playfully mocking tone. She didn't exactly mean to pry, but it was in her nature. Qui-Gon was silent for a long time.

"The Jedi order." He said quietly, as if speaking to himself. Saryu blinked.

"Jedi!" She declared, astonished. Qui-Gon looked alarmed, as if she wasn't supposed to hear him. Now it was her turn to blush. "Sorry." She said, a little embarassed at her big mouth. "You're a Jedi?" She asked, a little quieter. He nodded. "That is soo cool!" She squealed in as quiet a voice as she could muster. "Ever since I was a little girl, I've dreamed of becoming a Jedi knight, err, knight-ess. Whatever you call them. But... some things happened and I wasn't able to." Her voice dropped and she turned her head. Her gaze fell upon a framed photograph of a beautiful smiling woman and a handsome, dark-haired man. Between them, they held a beaming little girl, whom Qui-Gon suspected to be Saryu. He could sense her sadness.

"What happened to them?" He asked quietly. Now it was her turn to be silent. After a few minutes, Qui-Gon figured she wasn't going to tell him. He didn't know whether she wanted him to leave or not, so he got up and headed for the door.

"They died." There came a small voice behind him. He paused and glanced over his shoulder. Saryu was staring at the floor, unmoved, as though she had never spoken. He came and sat beside her again.

"What happened?"

"I am from a small mining planet called Bahadora. My parents mined precious minerals for use on other planets. On their way to deliver a shipment, they crash-landed here on Tatooine. Toku was the one who fixed up their ship, but he cheated them!" At this point, she balled her fist and a flash of anger burned in her eyes. "He charged them for repairs that I know were impossible! The price he asked was one that they could never pay, so he made them slaves. They had the same jobs as I do, as well as their mining. Then, when I was seven, they were killed in a mining accident and I had to take over here. I would've paid off my debt years ago, but Toku began adding things such as room and board so that I have no choice but to keep working. I fear it's the only life I will know." Her voice cracked and she looked down to hide the tears in her eyes. She refused to let them fall. Qui-Gon was silent for a long time. Saryu didn't seem to want to speak anymore. With a final glance at her, he finally left. She didn't seem to notice. At last, she stretched facedown on the bed and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in a room down the hall, a heated conversation was taking place between a certian padawan and his master.  
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Saryu awoke hours later. She sat up, disoriented. The suns hadn't come up yet, but she knew she was supposed to be getting ready for another day of slave labor. She had fallen asleep wrapped in her towel. She sat up on the edge of her bed and pulled the towel from her hair, which emerged as a giant yellow fuzzball. She sighed and quickly dressed before heading downstairs and outside. She stood on the steps and watched the suns rise, as she always did.

She looked over her shoulder, and then left and right. Convinced she was alone, she grabbed the broom that rested near the door and began twirling it. She made several parrys and jabs, and sliced invisible opponents to bits with her 'lightsaber.' She practiced for close to an hour before a mis-maneuver with her wrist made her drop the broom. There came a sudden burst of clapping from behind her. She whirled around to see who had been spying on her, only to see Qui-Gon beaming at her. She fixed him with a thunderous glare.

"That was pretty good. But when you go to spin it that way, do your wrist like this." He demonstrated the proper wrist-flip, but Saryu wasn't looking. She clenched her jaw, and picked up her broom, turning her back on him angrily. She looked down at her hand, her gaze softening.

"Thanks."

Qui-Gon drew his own real lightsaber, and the two practiced side by side. He taught her some new manueuvers, and allowed her time to practice and get used to them. He was rather stunned at her skill.

"How'd you get so good?" He teased. Saryu laughed.

"Well, to tell the truth, I practice every day. I try and do it at least an hour, and more if I can. I've done it ever since I came to this place." She said quietly. Qui-Gon was about to say something, but their attention was diverted to Arayla who was running towards them. She'd been out on the dunes since before sunup, and had a frantic look on her face.

"They're coming!" She screeched as she ran. Saryu's eyes widened and she grinned devilishly. She clutched her broom and turned in the direction Arayla had come from.

"Who's coming?" Qui-Gon asked.

"The massiffs!" Arayla said breathlessly. She took a moment to breathe as Qui-Gon looked back at Saryu.

"What?"

"Massiff. They're these huge desert beasts with wicked teeth and massive claws. They're a nasty business." Saryu explained.

"Then why are you going?" He asked, a little flabbergasted.

"Because." Saryu answered simply, as though that were a very obvious answer. Qui-Gon stared.

"But you can't go out alone!" He insisted. Saryu laughed.

"I'm not going alone! I've got my broom!" She said before darting over the dunes. Qui-Gon stared after her. She was very, very strange. Finally, he decided to follow, in case she needed some assistance.

Saryu reached the top of the first tall dune and stared out over the sand. They were coming. From the looks of it, there were only four of them. As they drew closer, Saryu's eyes widened. She knew this pack of troublesome creatures very well. "Krael." She hissed through her teeth. Saryu grinned inwardly. Finally, a real test of her Jedi skills! She giggled giddily before charging over the sand to meet them.

She reached the top of the second dune and stood her ground. The four beasts came to a stop and one stepped forward. Saryu hadn't been kidding when she said they were a nasty business. They stood a meter at the shoulder and they were covered in short, bristly fur. They had large, stiff spines that followed their backline to their haunches. The one who stood before her was the largest of the four. He was scarred from head to toe and missing an eye. The remaining eye was a peircing black, though dull with age, but still menacing nonetheless. Saryu stood strong against the snarling beasts and clutched her broom in front of her chest.

"Krael, go home! I thought I taught you a lesson the last time we met. And what about you three? T'rir? Sriad? Kal'daka? Didn't you four get enough of a beating?" At the last word, Krael snarled. He let out a roar, but Saryu didn't flinch. Instead, she smirked. Then she laughed. A merciless, mocking laughter. The four roared in fury, and so began a battle. They all attacked her at once and she managed to fight them off with her broom, giving them a few well-deserved smacks. They gave her a few slashes to the arms in retaliation, but the girl didn't seem to notice. She twirled the makeshift weapon and used all the moves she knew, plust the ones Qui-Gon had taught her earlier. She ended up flinging T'rir, Sriad, and Kal'daka into a pile and turned to face Krael.

The grizzled leader sprang forward, pouncing on the girl and pinning her on the ground. She held her broom in front of her, which served to block his claws and fangs. They slid down the dune with Krael pinning her down. She struggled beneath his weight, but it wasn't over yet. She had more tricks up her sleeve. She pushed her feet up under his haunches and forced him up. She went with, and they switched positions. She was sitting on his chest with him thrashing beneath her broom. Krael had more tricks up his sleeves, err, paws as well. Arching his back, he used both hind paws to deliver a nasty wound to her back. She flinched and cried out in pain and suprise. But she wouldn't give up that easily. She leaned forward and pushed herself up onto her hands. She pushed off with a springlike bounce and landed a few feet ahead of Krael. She smirked. She had another plan. Racing up the dune, she began leading the four furious beasts on a chase.

Buried somewhere in the desert was an ancient ship. All that was left of it was a switch that opened a door which dropped down into a deep pit somewhere in the bowels of the ship. Saryu knew exactly where it was. It was the vital role in her next plan. She ran on tirelessly, running up one dune and down the next. She had gained a distance on the animals, who hadn't given up their chase yet. Saryu slid down one dune and ran to the base of the next. Instead of running up it, she turned to face the top of the dune. Any second now and... there! The massiffs had raced over the top and were now making her way towards her. Or so they thought. With a grin, Saryu stepped on the switch. The metal doors slid apart to reveal a square of blackness that dipped several feet into the earth. Too late the beasts had seen the gaping maw of the ship, ready to devour them. They slid into it and Saryu laughed again. She walked around to the other side as T'rir tried to scramble out. She whacked him with her broom and swept him back in again. Finally, all four scrambled out of the other side. With an angry snarl, Krael led his pack back up the dunes. Saryu waved them off merrily. She walked back around and stepped on the switch again, closing the hatch. She swept sand over it and climbed the dunes once again.

On her climb up the final dune before home, she spotted Qui-Gon standing prominently on the top, Arayla's spyglass in hand. He was looking at her with a mixed expression of pride and disappointment. Saryu pretended not to notice and smiled cheerily at him. He gave a hopeless sigh and they walked back to the shop. She stood on the steps and dusted herself off while Qui-Gon went inside for another mysterious talk with that Count Dooku guy. Suddenly, Arayla gave a gasp from behind her.

"Saryu! Your back!" The startled cry made Saryu turn and look, but a sudden burning pain made her stiffen. She hadn't noticed the long slashes tracing the entirety of her lower back until now. She managed a sheepish grin and limped down the hallway to where their 'doctor' droid resided. She walked into the room and lay facedown on the table with a small laugh. The droid bustled over and stared coldly at Saryu.

"Child, what have you done to yourself now?" He said mechanically. Saryu smiled, then winced as he placed his cold hands on her bare skin.

"Just a little run-in with some massiffs. I'm sure you remember Krael from the last time." She was cut off by a small gasp.

"Child, you're not going to be happy until you're in a coffin, are you?" He said while going through his different cleaning materials. Saryu gave a small snort.

"Of course not. I'm going to have my body honored by burning it." She gave another small cry of pain and bit her lip as he poured some kind of cleaning fluid over her wounds. It burned like fire, and she clenched her fists until the pain subsided and he began wrapping her middle with gauze. She lay still while he washed and wrapped her arms. At last, he was finished before sitting up. She grinned at the droid and hopped off the table. She stepped out into the hallway and spotted Qui-Gon and Dooku speaking in the hallway. At her appearance, Dooku approached her.

"Saryu, I need to speak with you outside." She hesitantly followed the man down the hallway and out onto the steps. He stared at her a moment before speaking, making her slightly uncomfortable. "Saryu, Qui-Gon has told me everything. I need you to come with me." He said. He led her out to the airship, which someone had brought next to the shop earlier that day. She followed him on board, where he sat in a chair before her. "Let me see your hand, please." He asked. She looked at him reluctantly before holding out her hand. He took it, and held a metal object against her finger. She flinched as something pricked her flesh, but didn't draw back her hand until he released her. The machine beeped at him, and he looked at it. "Thank you." He said, waving her off. She stared at him a moment before exiting the ship.

She approached Qui-Gon, her finger stuck inside her mouth. Qui-Gon looked curiously at her for a moment, but he nodded in understanding.

"What was that thing?" She asked, looking at her finger.

"It was a device used to check your midi-chlorian count." He said simply. She gave him a blank stare, but he shook his head. He couln't tell her any more, for he didn't want to get her hopes up.  
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I'll probably stop editing at Chapter 4, but it depends on whether I'm satisfied with it and whether you guys are satisfied with it.


	3. The Jedi Council

I've done a little editing to this one as well.  
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"No! No sale!" The angry shouts of Toku could be heard all through the tavern. Saryu winced on the doorstep, where she had been bade to stay by a reluctant Qui-Gon as he and Dooku went to negotiate her freedom with her tenacious boss.

"Well, at least tell me what her debt is!" Dooku demanded. Dooku was furious, but not half as mad as the old shopkeeper. How dare these two just barge in and decide they want to free his best slave? Jaba the Hutt was not happy at the loss of her parents, as he still had quite a large sum to pay them back with that he had lost in a bet. And now they wanted to take his hardest worker?

"Absolutely not!" He retorted, turning red. It was all Dooku could do to keep his cool. He turned and stormed down the hallway.

_Anger is the path to the Dark Side._

_A Jedi should feel no emotions._

Obviously, whoever wrote the Jedi code never had to deal with stubborn and pigheaded slave owners. Dooku took a minute to calm down before approaching the man again.

"50,000 credits." He said simply. Toku gaped. Saryu's debt barely reached 10,000. The rest would cover his debt to the Hutts, and he would be able to properly run his business. He found himself at a loss for words.

Saryu looked on with a furrowed brow. Why did she feel as though she had just been bought? She didn't like this. She was a human being, and refused to be bought and sold like some animal. She was indignant and outraged. Qui-Gon could sense her anger and approached her. She seemed to take no notice, until he placed a hand on her arm. She looked at him, then looked away, calming down a bit.

"Sold." Saryu glanced up. Toku was shaking hands with Dooku, their deal made. She glared at the two of them, her eyes following Dooku as he walked down the hall towards her. He faced her, smiling. She was a bit aprehensive, until he spoke.

"You're free." He said. Her eyes widened. Free? Were her ears decieving her? The look he gave her told no lie. She was free! It took all her self-control to keep herself from jumping up and down in glee. Needless to say, she was ecstatic. Qui-Gon beamed at her. "Let's head back to the Jedi temple. The Council'll know what to do with you." Dooku said, heading for the ship. Saryu started to follow, then hesitated.

"Wait!" She called. She then turned and ran the opposite direction. She was headed towards the ship buried in the desert, the one that had served as a trap for the massiffs only hours ago. She reached the spot quickly and stomped on the switch. As the doors slid apart, she jumped inside. It was different than any ship she'd seen. The walls of the hold were smooth panels and there was no exit. Undeterred, she simply pried back a panel and crawled in amongst the wires. She crawled a ways, heading towards what she thought was the cabin. She moved quickly and finally the 'tunnel' ended. She kicked open a grate and dropped into a room. She was in the right place, the cockpit. She grinned widely and rushed to the computer. She had no idea how to start it, so she began randomly hitting buttons until, the lights came on and the engine started. Taking her seat in the captain's chair, she grasped the controls. They resembled the controls of an ancient aircraft, called the aeroplane, or so she thought. They were heavy, and it took most of her strength to pull them back. The machine jolted and shuddered, but began to climb in the sea of sand. Finally it struggled above the dunes, and she managed to guide it over to where Qui-Gon and Dooku stood waiting. She let the controls slide forward as it lost altitude. They fell forward swiftly and the ship crashed, but not before deploying its landing gears. She pushed a few more buttons and the hatch opened. She climbed out the top and stood on the wing while dusting herself off. She then looked up and smiled at Qui-Gon and Dooku.

"Controls are a bit rusty, but other than that she seems like an okay ship!" She laughed at their astonished faces.

"That's an old A-wing starfighter!" Qui-Gon declared. Saryu gave him a blank stare and he shook his head.

She walked around the aircraft and got a good look at it. It was streamlined, and in an okay shape. It was still covered in sand, but its reddish-brown color shone through. "Mind if I follow you guys in this?" She asked. She was met with two shaking heads. She grinned and climbed aboard the ship. In the light, she got a better look around. She found a helmet and put it on. There was something poking her in the head, and upon further investigation, she found a comlink built in. She quickly found the channel that the two Jedi used and waited until they boarded the airship before speaking.

"So where is this 'Jedi temple,' anyway?" She asked.

"On Coruscant. Ever been there?" Qui-Gon's voice replied. She shook her head, but remembered he couldn't hear her brains rattling.

"Nope. Never been anywhere 'cept Tatooine and Bahadora." She said, speaking of the planet of her birth." She started the engine again and pulled the ship up. She let it hover a minute as the airship rose from the ground in front of her. She followed it as they left the atmosphere and was rendered speechless as she saw a vast expanse of galaxy laid out before her. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. She followed them as they headed towards a series of small rings orbiting up ahead.

"You see those rings? They're called hyperspace transport rings. Just fly in the middle and they'll grab hold of your ship and take you to wherever, in this case, Coruscant." Qui-Gon's voice seemed to answer her unspoken question. Saryu blinked. She watched as the ship flew into the center of the ring. The two arms on the side grasped the sides of the ship before the entire thing disappeared. Saryu was astonished. With a gulp, she guided her ship into the center of another ring. She grasped the controls so hard that her knuckles turned white as the ship was grabbed and flung forward through hyperspace.

The ship came to an abrupt halt almost as quickly as it had started moving. She spotted th airship waiting up ahead. She was disengaged from the ring and flew over to them. She spotted them through the cockpit window and gave them a thumbs up. Qui-Gon waved back at her and the pair entered the atmosphere.

As they broke through the cloudline, Saryu couldn't help but stare in wonder at what met her eyes. Immense skyscrapers and neverending streams of airship traffic was something she had never encountered before. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and spotted the Jedi's airship moving away from her. She had to move quickly in order to catch up with it before it was lost in the mass of ships whizzing back and forth. She came alongside it and followed easily. They were headed towards a strange cluster of buildings. There was four shorter spires surrounding one taller one. Upon closer inspection, Saryu realized they were all attached to one gigantic, square-shaped building. The two ships flew round the side (or front, Saryu couldn't really tell) and into a hangar, where they came to a stop and parked. The hatch slid back and she climbed out to join Qui-Gon and Dooku.

"This way." Dooku said, turning down a hallway. Qui-Gon stayed at his side while Saryu tagged along behind. She was a bit overwhelmed at all the new sights. She barely noticed when they turned down another hallway until she bumped into a wall before running to catch up.

"This place is so big. I've never seen anything like it." She murmured in wonder. She suddenly walked into Qui-Gon's back. She stumbled backward a bit and looked up at Dooku.

"Wait here." He said before walking through a set of doors. Saryu followed him to the door and made an attempt to peer through the window, but Qui-Gon grabbed her shoulder. He shook his head and, grinning sheepishly, she stood against the wall beside him.

A few minutes later, Dooku reappeared. He motioned for Saryu to follow him. She swallowed and took a deep breath before stepping through the doors. She found herself in a circular room filled with windows. Twelve chairs were arranged in a circle around a pattern on the floor, and in those twelve chairs sat twelve individuals, whose eyes were all on her. She was frozen to the floor for a moment before a gentle nudge from Dooku encouraged her to step in the center of the circle. She looked around. She was a bit uncomfortable in the surrounding silence.

"Your name, please." The voice was croaky and came from a tiny green alien sitting in front of her. She swallowed and nodded.

"Saryu. Saryu Fargoln. What's your name?" She asked politely, offering a smile. The little green man looked startled.

"Yoda. Your age?" He smiled welcomingly back at her. This gave the girl a bit more confidence.

"9" She said. Immediately, one of the others spoke up.

"She is too old to train. Already she is at the age of a young Padawan." Said a humanoid with a large head. Saryu tried her best not to look crestfallen. And there was that word again, Padawan. Qui-Gon had used it earlier. What was that supposed to mean?

"Perhaps. A chance she deserves, at least. Skillful she is, Dooku said. Perhaps the trials of Younglings?"Yoda said to the others. Saryu suddenly realized that he talked funny. She stifled laughter as the others looked thoughtfully at her. "But first, trained in the ways of the Force she must be." He added. The others agreed with murmers and nods. She was ushered from the room where she met Qui-Gon in the hallway. She quickly filled him in and he smiled.

"Looks like they're going to see what you're capable of." He said gleefully. Saryu grinned happily. They both turned to look as Dooku left the room as well.

"Saryu, come with me and I'll show you where you'll be staying." He said and led them down the hallway.


	4. Master and Apprentice

"All right, that's long enough. Time for you to go." The harsh, grating voice of Jocasta Nu rang through the halls of the Jedi Archives and pulled a certian blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl from her reading. Letting out a small groan, the girl slid from the stool upon which she had been seated and walked down the now-familiar aisles on her way to the exit, where Yoda had been waiting expectantly, ready to lead her to the atrium for another round of training. Two weeks had gone by since she had been 'given a chance,' so to speak, by the Jedi High Council. The first few days she'd spent exploring and getting to know the Temple, inside and out. That was how she'd discovered the Archive hall. Such a curiosity she had about the Force and all its aspects, and she'd spent every possible waking hour there. Of course, the first few visits had been under intense observation by Jocasta Nu, but once she realized that Saryu posed no threat, she backed off and let the girl go about her reading. 

Since she'd come to the Jedi Temple, she'd began having some strange visions. It'd taken a little while to figure out, but she realized they were prophetic. She'd had several in the past week, and most of them came as dreams. One particular dream was a vivid account of her dear friend, Qui-Gon Jinn, and his future death. She'd told no one of these dreams, but kept them locked away inside her mind. She was forced to go about her life, but the fear that came from her visions was quickly swept away by the bustle of her new lifestyle, and they were pushed to the back of her mind.

As her time spent here progressed, things had fallen into a pattern. She hadn't recieved a master yet, but was instead being trained under Yoda with the other younglings. She didn't mind, however, because she was in a group of other children close to her same age. Whenever she wasn't training with the other younglings, she was in the Archive hall until he came to fetch her. Sometimes she and Master Yoda had private training sessions, which she valued above anything else. She had learned so much regarding the ways of the Force and how to use her mind to activate the Force-power within her body. She dwelled on these thoughts as Yoda led her down the hall.

"A different training for today, we have." Yoda was telling her, pulling her out of her thoughts. Saryu looked at him. They were headed someplace else, not his chambers for meditating. She had not had the chance to explore this part of the Temple, so she said nothing and followed. He led her through two glass doors that slid apart and vanished into the walls. They were in a dome-shaped room, with strange metal bubbles embedded in the wall. She stood just inside the doorway and Yoda handed her something. She looked at it closely. It was a metal cylinder, about 30 centimeters long with a red button on the side. She looked at Yoda.

"This looks like a lightsaber." She breathed. He nodded.

"It is." He agreed, then turned to a console sticking at an adjacent angle from the wall. He pushed some buttons, then motioned her to the center of the room. One of the 'bubbles' came to life and disengaged from the wall. It levitated a moment before its two halves split apart to reveal that it was a laser droid. Yoda looked at her and nodded. Saryu took a breath and pushed the button on the lightsaber. A long, blue, narrow beam of energy emerged with a distinct sound. It was different from her training lightsaber. This one was lighter, a feather instead of a stick. She stared at it a moment in awe and gave a few practice swings before looking up at the droid. Yoda pushed another button and the droid began to move, hovering in front of her before firing. Instinctively, she raised the sword to reflect the attack. It bounced off the blade and back at the droid, whose shield protected it. It kept firing, and she was able to successfully block its attacks. After what seemed like an eternity, Yoda pushed more buttons and the droid stopped firing. Instead, another droid emerged from the wall and opened. Saryu blew a stray lock of hair from her face and took a defensive stance.

"Wait. This you must use." Yoda's voice came from behind her. She turned and he handed her a long strip of black cloth. A blindfold? Saryu wasn't sure if she could handle two droids blindfolded. She looked aprehensively at Yoda, who nodded. With a sigh, she tied the cloth around her eyes and activated her lightsaber.

The two droids hovered around her and fired, and she realized she couldn't act on instinct alone. Using the power of the Force, she blocked the attacks of both and concentrated on the droid on front of her. The second one, however, rotated around her and a shot grazed her shoulder. She winced and grabbed the smoking injury.

"Use the Force." Yoda reprimanded calmly. 'I'll try,' where the first words about to be uttered from her mouth, but she remembered Yoda's rather famous speech and kept her mouth closed.

Taking a deep breath, she began to concentrate. Using the power of the Force, she was able to feel which direction the next attack was coming from. However, she found it a bit difficult with the droids constantly moving. An hour and four more burns later and the exercise was over. She used the blindfold to wipe her sweaty brow and looked at Yoda, who was smiling warmly. She sighed, exhausted. She couldn't hide the air of satisfaction surrounding her, however, and walked over to him. He nodded and led her from the room. Out in the hall, he turned to face her.

"Very well, you have done. A more difficult training regime, I think. Mind, you do not?" He asked. Saryu gaped at him and shook her head numbly.

"Good. Good. Done for today, you are"  
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Yoda certianly had not been kidding when he said her training would be more difficult. She was constantly being monitored by Yoda during her training, and it would intensefy when he saw fit. Three years had passed since she come to the Temple. Today was her eleventh birthday. She had had a strange dream the night before. She was surrounded by complete darkness, and a voice was telling her about some sort of gift. She didn't exactly remember, but it was forgotten as she was sitting in her Temple class, fidgeting.

There was something different about today. She could feel it, but apparently she was the only one because no one else seemed as excited or agitated as she. Her instructor found it particularly difficult to hold her attention and to keep her from fidgeting. When the wall chrono finally read three o' clock, Saryu sprang through the door with a whoop. This prompted a_look_ from her instructor, but the girl wasn't paying attention. Out in the corridor, she stooped to send her datapad sliding down the hallway. This immediately started a round of padracing, a game she herself had invented. The other younglings called for her to join them, but she pretended not to hear. Instead, she scooped up her pad and ran to the quarters she shared with two other youngling girls. She was the first one there, and had a few minutes alone. She sighed, wondering what to do. She could still hear the screeches and laughter of the other younglings out in the hallway. Perhaps she should go and join them after all. Her growling stomach gave her another idea. She opened the fridge and scoped out a possible snack. Her eyes fell on a large jar stitting on the shelf in front of her. She glanced at the label.

"Pickle, eh?" She fished one out and popped it in her mouth without really questioning the dark red color. It was only until she went to put the jar back and the room began to grow a little warmer that she noticed the label again.

"Pickled Peppers?" By now, her mouth was on fire. Her skin prickled, and she was alarmed to find out that the rest of her body was burning up as well. Not thinking to go into the refresher, she ran out into the now-empty corridor to seek help. The padraces had finished a few minutes earlier, and the younglings had returned to their quarters. Just down the hallway was the Room of the Thousand Fountains...  
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"Nearly complete her youngling training is, I think."

"Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself? I mean, she is still young after all."

"Yes yes, but little left to learn as a youngling she has. Much more as a Padawan to learn there is."

"I see. Yes, I have been watching her for several weeks. I haven't had a chance to speak with her personally, but I've seen her duels. What of her Temple studies?"

"A fast learner she is. Maybe two or three ahead of her in class, there is."

"I see. I will speak with her then."

Voices floated down the empty hallway and echoed in the large Room. One of them was the easily-recognizable voice of Master Yoda. The other one she didn't recognize, but they were heading this way. She could sense their approach, but she didn't budge. She didn't think about how ridiculous she must look, but hoped they would turn and leave her in peace. They didn't, but Saryu still didn't move. She heard their footsteps stop short in the doorway and turned to look. Both Yoda and a tall woman were staring at the young girl sitting in the fountain. She wasn't bathing nor moving around, but simply sitting. Saryu stared back. Her blue eyes offered no excuse, nor showed that she was making an attempt at one. An eternity passed, and it was as though all three of them had been turned to stone.

Suddenly, they sprang into furious action. Saryu leapt out of the fountain just as Yoda and the woman came after her. In a flash, Saryu was off slipping down the hallway like some strange, lopsided fish, with the two Masters hot on her heels. Despite the fact that Saryu was slipping and sliding and falling down nearly every step she took, it wasn't until they were near the Archive room before they finally caught up with her. It was then a struggle to keep her from running down the hall naked as the woman, whom Saryu now knew as Adi Gallia, tried to dry her off in her quarters. Finally dry and wrapped in a warm towel, Saryu stood patiently. Her clothes were in the dryer, so there wasn't much else to do but to wait. She thought she heard Yoda grumble something about "Too old for this, I am" under his breath. Stifling laughter, she turned to Adi and flashed her a big grin.

"Much better!" She declared. Adi looked suprised, but then decided it was better not to ask. She watched as the little girl explored the chambers thoroughly, poking about in this or that. "Nice place." She chimed as she went to explore another room. Adi nodded.

"How would you like to stay here?" She asked. Saryu poked her head around the corner and shrugged before disappearing down the hall again.

"It'd be okay, I guess." Her voice sounded muffled, but Adi heard it just the same.

"Well then, go and get your things, my Padawan." She heard Saryu stop in her tracks. The youngling blinked. Had she heard Adi right?

Saryu understood the basic concept of a Padawan was, an apprentice to a master, but she didn't understand the bond of trust that was needed between the two in order for her to be properly trained. As Adi led her down the corridor, she explained these things. Saryu listened in silence. While she certianly respected and admired her new Master, she was far from trusting her just yet.

Saryu got her things settled in the quarters, neatly arranging the things in her room just the way she wanted them. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, and it cascaded messily down her back. She quickly ran a brush through it before walking out into the living area, where Adi was sitting on the couch. Saryu joined her, and Adi continued to explain the partnership of a master and padawan.

"One of the things that establishes this bond is the braid." She said. Saryu nodded. Her thoughts turned to the braids that she'd seen on the other Padawans that resided and trained in the Jedi temple. "As a Master, I establish this connection with you by the braid." She reached out to take hold of a lock of Saryu's hair, and the girl drew back in suprise. She looked down, embarassed at herself, and moved to another chair, where she proceeded to braid her own hair.

"Sorry." She murmured, clearly upset with herself. Adi looked rather upset and suprised at Saryu's reaction, but said nothing. She wondered what Saryu's reaction would mean to their future together as master and apprentice.


	5. Exploration

Saryu lay awake that night, tossing and turning. She was unnacustomed to sleeping in a room with such large windows and such a large bed. Finally, she settled into a comfortable position and began to drift off. Suddenly, a deafening roar filled her room. It was brief, but frightning nonetheless. Her eyes flew open and she lay perfectly still. Had a ship crashed into the building? After a few seconds, she began to doubt that it had actually happened. Her heart rate slowed and she closed her eyes again and dozed. All of a sudden, a blinding flash filled her room. She bolted upright and looked around. She shuddered, got out of bed, and crept to the door. She peered out into the darkened main room. She swallowed and tiptoed out of her room. Outside, the thunder and lightning ensued.

Saryu crept to the room where Adi Gallia, her new master, was sleeping soundly. She peered into the room and could see the woman's form outlined against the darkness by the faint light shining through the window. She spotted Adi's lightsaber resting on the nighttable next to her. She swallowed and, very carefully, Force-lifted the weapon to her waiting hands. Adi stirred, and Saryu swiftly fled to the main room. She tiptoed to the glass doors that led to the balcony and slipped outside. Clutching the cold metal of the weapon tightly, she stepped out onto the balcony. Something hit her in the head, and she instinctively reached up and felt the wet spot. She looked up and something else hit her on the nose. She smelt and then tasted the substance carefully. It was... water? Water was falling from the sky? She looked up as the water continued to rain down upon her and closed her eyes. She'd spent the majority of her life on a dry, desert planet where water was a rare and precious commodity, and she was quite unused to it just falling from the sky. She remained motionless for a moment, then suddenly remembered she was holding the lightsaber. She pulled up her shirt and tucked it inside the waistband of her pajamas and covered it with her shirt, sheltering it from the rain.

Finally, the shower stopped, and she turned to head back inside. She saw someone standing in the doorway and realized it was Adi, her tall form silhouetted by the light inside. She felt her cheeks gain color and she sheepishly walked up to her and handed her the weapon. Adi said nothing, only offered her a warm smile as she led the young girl inside.  
---------------------------------------------

Several years had passed since she was given a Master to train her. Saryu was now fifteen, but despite her age, she could still be seen chasing after Adi, following her like a child.

"But why can't I go?" Saryu's pleading voice echoed through the eerily still halls of the Temple hangars.

"The Council believes that you need more experience first before leaving the Temple." Adi explained calmly. She was met with an indignant snort from behind her.

"But you're _on_ the Council! And besides, what better way for me to gain experience than to go with you!" Saryu protested.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we'll have to discuss this upon my return. I will see you in a week." Adi said, turning to face her young Padawan. Saryu wasn't angry, but she was resentful at having to be left behind. Adi smiled in amusement at her apprentice's attitude. She gave her a pat on the shoulder before climbing aboard her ship. Saryu watched her master depart before returning to her quarters. She flopped down on the bed with an exaggerated sigh before rolling over on her back to stare thoughtfully up at the ceiling. A whole week to herself. She was sure there were a number of ways to spend it, and yet here she was moping. In a normal state of mind, Saryu would've already been wreaking havoc all over the Temple by now, but she was still in a huff over being left behind.

With a small sigh, she rolled over onto her stomach again, and stared out the window. She blinked, her eyes finally coming into focus at what she was actually seeing. She stood up and walked to the window and peered out. A devillish grin alighted her face. She was looking at nearly all of Coruscant! Already, her mind was formulating a list of things she could do. She was sure she could sneak out for a day of exploring. Surely they wouldn't miss her if she took just one day off. With a small giggle, she quickly changed into something more street-worthy. She kept her robe and her lightsaber, but donned the garb that she had worn as a slave. She took a bit more time to put her hair up, taking care to leave her braid free to swing past her shoulder.

She took a cautious glance out of the door to make sure no one would catch her in her reconnaissance mission to thoroughly explore Coruscant. There was no need for it, however, as it seemed that everyone had left the Temple. Saryu grumbled something under her breath before slipping down the halls to the hangars. She didn't know why she tried to be quiet. She could've just as easily driven a clone turbo tank down the hallway and would've gone unnoticed. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be safe.

She entered the hangar and approached the A-wing starfighter she'd rescued from Tatooine. It was a lucky thing that the Jawas hadn't gotten to it first. She'd spent hours cleaning and polishing it and removing every trace of sand from the interior and mechanics and it now ran smoothly and without difficulties. She hopped inside and revved the engine a minute before heading out to explore.

She coasted out away from the Temple and joined the nearest stream of skyway traffic. She kept up the rapid pace easily, while at the same time getting a better look at the buildings and markets below. Something silver and shiny caught her eye, and she flew down for a better look. She parked her starfighter and hopped out to see what it is. Her eyes lit up when she saw it was a speeder dealership. She immediately ran to the first one she saw.

"Oh wow! Look at that paint job! And the interior! All those buttons and gadgets! I would love to take this baby apart and see what makes her tick!" She crooned, inspecting every inch of the polished silver vehicle.

"Well, once you buy 'er, you can do whatever you want with 'er." There came a voice behind her. She turned around to see a steely-eyed man with a crooked nose staring down at her. "13,000 credits."

Saryu blinked, then turned her pockets inside out. "No money." She said sullenly. Immediately, the man sent her on her way without another word. Saryu sighed, but her attention was soon grabbed by other things as she wandered down the streets and deeper into the depths of Coruscant.

She recieved many strange looks and stares. Needless to say, she stood apart from the crowd with her robes trailing behind her and the silver glint of her lightsaber as it rested in her belt. Saryu was astounded at all the different shops and stores that lined the streets. She didn't mind the fact that she had no money, as the Jedi didn't believe in material posessions, she was just satisfied with being able to see the city. She had no clue what sorts of things lurked within its depths however.

She was quite startled when something whizzed past her head. It was large, but she couldn't tell what exactly it was. It was moving fast, and circled back towards her. Four more shapes joined and together they circled Saryu jauntingly. The Padawan stood bravely, and reached for her lightsaber. It wasn't needed though, as the shapes slowed and she was able to see what they were. It was a group of boys, all varying races. They looked older than she was, and they were standing tall on some strange vehicle. They looked like boards with rounded ends and engines on the back. She'd never seen anything like it. The leader of the group came to a halt and hopped off the board to stand before her. He flashed her a grin.

"Hey there. What's a pretty thing such as yourself doing here?" He asked. She gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Shopping." She said. Her eyes fell upon the board he held in his hand. It was painted with intricate designs and looked very interesting. She longed to take a closer look. The kid noticed her staring and threw her the board. She caught it and looked up at him. He grinned and took a board from one of his companions.

"How about a race?" He teased. Saryu grinned challengingly.

"You're on!" She bellowed. The others laughed. He started up the engine of his board. It levitated off the ground, and he hopped on. Saryu mimicked him, pulling the cord on one of the twin engines that were attached on either side of the board. The thing roared to life and hovered expectantly. She clambered aboard. It seemed to hold her weight easily, and it didn't take her long to find her balance.

"Ready... Set... Go!" A kid on the sidelines hollered. Her dark-haired opponent raced ahead while Saryu idled in place. She couldn't understand why she wasn't going anywhere. She looked down to see if something was wrong with the board. Her eyes fell on a pedal situated at the back of the machine, between the two engines. She gave herself a mental smack and stomped on the accelerator. The vehicle lurched powerfully forward, and she nearly went flying off. She kept her balance, however, and blasted through the streets. It didn't take her long before she caught up to him, and the two raced along at breakneck speeds. They left a great deal of damage in their wake, overturning market carts, forcing people and other vehicles out of the road. Saryu pulled ahead, but so did the other kid. She stared him down, the wind whipping through her hair. She was so focused on winning that she didn't spot the low concrete wall up ahead. The kid sailed up and over, but Saryu didn't quite make it. The tip of the board caught the wall and Saryu was sent flying.

She hit the ground with a thud and rolled down another street. Coughing, she sat up and dusted herself off. Nothing seemed to be broken. She got to her feet and looked around. This street was very different from the main street. It was overshadowed by massive buildings on either side and was poorly lit. Few shops lined the streets and there were people dressed in black milling about. They all gave her cold stares as she sauntered past them. One of them approached her. His hood cast a shadow over his face, hiding his features. He gave her a grin, the light glinting off of his gnalred teeth. "You lost, girl?" He asked. His voice was deep and raspy. She took a step back from him. She suddenly felt very crowded as more figures approached her.

"Saryu!" There came a call from behind her. It was a voice so familiar. It peirced the darkness like a beam of light. She turned to see Qui-Gon's familiar figure silhouetted against the end of the alleyway. She beamed up at him. She turned and blew a raspberry at the retreating figures before racing towards her friend. "What in blazes were you doing down there?" He asked reprimandingly.

"Exploring." Saryu said simply with a smile. Qui-Gon shook his head.

"You shouldn't go down the dark alleyways. You never know what kinds of things live down there. C'mon, I'll show you around the safer parts of Coruscant." He said helpfully. He stared at her. "What happened to you?" He asked, pointing out her disheveled appearance and the cuts and scrapes on her face and arms. Saryu explained everything to him and he sighed. "C'mon, we'd better head back to the Temple." Saryu laughed sheepishly. He grabbed her hand, and the two headed back to their awaiting ships.  
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Yeah, the ending's not too great. Ah well. I still liked the race. Thanks to Lar for the tips and help!


	6. Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, but if I did, I'd be the awesomest person in the universe! Kudos to you, Mr. Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd!  
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"Ouch! That hurts! Quit!" Saryu yelped, smacking away Qui-Gon's hand. He sighed as the alcohol-soaked cotton ball flew across the room. Saryu hissed and retreated to another sofa. Qui-Gon's eyes rolled upward, smiling exasperatedly at her antics.

"Think of it as punishment then. Here, you do it. You have to clean those cuts, or else they'll get infected." Qui-Gon said.

"That sounds like something Adi would say." Saryu grumbled under her breath. He looked at her.

"Would she be right?" He retorted. Saryu set her jaw and looked away from him. She resorted to dabbing gingerly at her wounds. It burnt like fire, but she ignored it as best she could. She felt a strange sensation come over her; she could feel something coming.

"Not again." She whispered. She felt her body go rigid, her eyes wide and glazed. Qui-Gon stared at her, worried. He called out to her. She heard him, but his voice was faint and distant. She saw him, but instead of the young man who stood before her, she saw him in a lightsaber fight with a hooded figure. She could only watch as he was run through with his enemy's blade and couldn't cry out as his body slumped to the floor. A tear rolled down her cheek. Everything went dark, but she knew where she was.

"Is he the one? The one I'm supposed to tell?" Her voice echoed in the darkness. There came no reply, but she knew the answer. The black void disappeared, and she had returned to reality. She was quite suprised to see Qui-Gon's face inches from hers, his eyes wide with fear. She blinked. "What?" She asked. Now it was Qui-Gon's turn to be suprised.

"What happened? Are you all right?" There was a definite tone of worry in his voice. Saryu was silent for a long time, and didn't look him in the eye. She wiped the tear from her face and sighed.

"They said it was time to tell you. You're the one who's supposed to know." She murmured.

"You're not making any sense." Qui-Gon said quietly. She didn't seem to notice at first, but then looked at him, the expression in her eyes unclear and difficult to read.

"The planet of my birth was one surrounded with superstition and legends. There was one particular legend that everyone knew, all across the world. It was believed to be a phropecy. It stated that the day of my birth, the very hour, the Gods were to select one child to grant their favor upon. They chose me. Their gift to me was one of premonitions. However, there were very strict rules that came with this gift. I could not interfere with what I was shown; I was forced to watch the events unfold as they were meant to. The visions didn't really start until I came to the Temple. The Gods came to me often to explain more about them. They told me I also could not tell anyone about it. That is, until my eleventh birthday. The Gods came to me in a dream, and told me I was allowed to tell one person, whom I truly trusted not to give away my secret. And when I first saw you, I had a feeling that you were the one I was supposed to tell. And now, with this last sight, I was told that I'm supposed to explain it to you. Qui-Gon, I saw your death." She paused and looked up at him. He looked a bit suprised and confused.

"How?" He asked. She knew what he meant.

"You are going to die fighting a Sith lord." She said quietly. He looked shocked.

"Sith? But they've been extinct for hundreds of years!" Qui-Gon was in a state of shock.

"I'm sorry. That's all I'm supposed to tell you. It's a long time from now, though. So you don't need to worry about it." Saryu fell silent. Qui-Gon said nothing either. He was a bit overwhelmed, but he couldn't imagine how Saryu must've felt. He looked at her, but she had gone back to dabbing at her wounds. She looked strangely satisfied. She was exhausted as well. Without another word, she got up and left his apartment to return to her own quarters.

Saryu closed the door with a sigh. The sun was on its last rounds of Coruscant, and she stood at the window to watch it sink below the hazeline of the city-planet. She shuffled sleepily into the refresher and took a quick shower. One finished, she didn't change into her pajamas, but wore a tank top and a pair of underwear. Alone in her quarters, she didn't feel the need to wear much else. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when the doorbell rang. She rinsed quickly and went to answer the door, completely forgetting about her clothes. She was suprised to see Qui-Gon standing in her doorway, her brown robes and lightsaber in hand. She looked at him expectantly, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he was staring wide-eyed at her half-covered body. She cleared her throat, drawing his attention to her face. He turned red and looked down, handing her the items.

"You uh, left these. At my..." He trailed off, clearly embarassed. She almost laughed, feeling a bit sorry for him. "Goodnight!" He blurted out, startling her. He then took off down the hallway.

"Night." She mumbled back, unheard. She quirked a brow and shut the door.  
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Saryu left her apartment at sunrise the next morning. She hadn't slept well, but her body craved strenuous exercise. She quickly pulled on a pair of sweatpants and walked to Qui-Gon's door to ring the doorbell. The door slid open to reveal a half-asleep Qui-Gon wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. It was Saryu's turn to be embarassed, but she recovered more quickly than he had.

"Hey! I was just wondering if you wanted to run with me." She chirped. He gaped at her.

"Sure, but I think I'd better get some pants on. One moment." He said, his cheeks gaining color. He disappeared into he room and reappeared shortly donning a pair of shorts. He'd opted for no shirt, and Saryu couldn't help but stare at his chiseled chest. She tried not to make it obvious, however.

The two jogged in tandem, their movements graceful and fluid. Saryu was completely at ease as she ran, her mind relaxed and peaceful. This was better than meditation. The two ran the entire Temple, and were quite sweaty and tired by the time they returned to their quarters an hour later. They each went inside their apartments and took a quick shower before meeting once again outside. Saryu still had a towel draped across her shoulders, her hair dripping slowly.

"Breakfast?" Qui-Gon asked. Saryu nodded and the two walked down to the mess hall together.

After a food fight had erupted in the mess hall, Saryu returned to her apartment to wash the applesauce from her hair and sensed that her master had returned. She found Adi Gallia busy unpacking in her room. Saryu washed her hair for the second time that day and ran into Adi's room, sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"So how was it? Whatja do?" Saryu asked.

"It was a diplomatic mission..." She was interrupted by a wretching sound from behind. "That's why you didn't go. You would've been bored to tears. However, the Council wishes us to go to Utapau in a few days. Together." She said. She turned around to face the astonished teen, a smile glimmering in her eyes. Saryu was ecstatic.

"Finally!" She blurted out, falling over backwards on the bed. Adi gave a small laugh and continued unpacking.  
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"There it is! Wow!" Saryu couldn't hide the excitement in her voice, even over the comlink. The pair of starfighters flew down into the massive sinkhole and docked in one of the many ports that lined the rock walls. Saryu stared in awe as a dactillion soared overhead, sending out a howl through its long, arrow-shaped snout. Her attention was then drawn to Adi.

"You can wander around a bit, just don't go far. I must go and speak with the Utapau leaders. I'll call you on the comlink when it's time to go." The tall woman said before striding off. Saryu smiled and headed the other way. She was overwhelmed at the action that ensumed the port. Tiny little Utai scurried back and forth, chattering to one another, while tall Utapauns moved gracefully about. A sudden bark from a veractyl drew her attention as the large, iguana-like creature ran up to her. It gave her a sniff, and Saryu smiled, rubbing the creature's nose. It gave a small growl before running off again. She watched it go before wandering down a hallway.

There were shouts and roars up ahead, and Saryu went to investigate. She had somehow found her way into a stable, and was looking in on a dactillion laying an egg. The Padawan was in awe at the sight. The avian lizard was having difficulty, and there were Utai scrambling back and forth to aid the mother-to-be. She suddenly felt someone approach from behind, and she turned to see a young Utapau girl walking towards her.

"They're always neat to watch giving birth." She was saying. Saryu nodded and the girl joined her at the gate. "She's mine; her name is Samiliae."

"She's beautiful." Saryu breathed.

"Yeah. But this isn't her first time birthing. Normally, we just destroy her eggs, but this one's special. I don't want it destroyed. Would you take it?" Saryu looked suddenly at the girl. She looked back at the creature, who had finished laying the egg, before looking back at the girl. Saryu smiled.

"Sure." There couldn't be much harm in keeping an egg with her in the Temple, could there? She watched as the girl went inside the stall, where a Utai handed her the egg, wrapped in a towel. The girl approached Saryu again and handed her the egg. It was large and suprisingly heavy. She looked up as the girl leaned closer.

"The reason this one's special is because it's a cross-breed egg. It's a veractyl and dactillion egg. If it hatches, it'll be the first of it's kind. I can't keep it though. It shouldn't hatch for a few years, so all you've got to do is keep it warm." The girl's hushed speech was cut off by the crackling of the comlink. Adi's voice erupted through the metal device, summoning her back to the ship. "Come back here when it hatches, and somebody'll show you how to take care of the hatchling. Good luck!" The girl smiled and waved as Saryu headed back to the port.

"What's that?" Adi questioned. Her eyes had fallen on a large object wrapped in a towel, clutched in Saryu's arms.

"A present from the Utapauns." Saryu said simply, boarding her ship. It wasn't exactly a lie, but Adi gave her a suspicious look before clambering back into her own ship. Settling the large egg in her lap, Saryu started up her starfighter and followed Adi out of the sinkhole and back towards Coruscant.  
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Lol. Got a little more fluff happening between Saryu and Qui-Gon Jinn. Tell me what you guys think!


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